Article of clothing

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises an article of clothing that is easier to put on or remove. In one form of the invention, the article of clothing is a shirt having arm holes and a neck hole. A seam along one side of the torso and extending along an arm hole at that same side is separable to make it easier for the wearer to put the shirt on or take it off. In other examples of the invention an additional seam along the shoulder and extending to the end of the arm hole is also separable so that one entire side of the shirt may be opened for easier removal. In other forms of the invention, a similar seam and closure means is provided on other articles of clothing such as pants, coats, socks, or others.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to articles of clothing, especially clothing having means for separating a seam of the article of clothing to make the clothing easier to put on and take off.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are certain instances in which clothing can be difficult to put on or remove, especially in the case of persons recovering from medical procedures or injuries. For example, shirts can be especially difficult to deal with when a person has a broken arm or other such ailment, because the act of manipulating the injured arm into the shirt and through the arm-hole can cause additional pain and perhaps worsen the injury. Even if the shirt includes buttons down the front, the article of clothing can still be difficult to work with and may be even more complicated because the buttons must be manipulated with one hand or with a second hand that is in an awkward or painful position. Pants and other articles of clothing face similar challenges, depending on the nature and extent of a particular injury. The present solution is to simply wear loose-fitting items such as large T-shirts to make it easier to put on or remove the clothing item.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises one or more articles of clothing that are easier to put on or remove. In one form of the invention, the article of clothing is a shirt having arm holes and a neck hole. A seam along one side of the torso and extending along an arm hole at that same side is separable to make it easier for the wearer to put the shirt on or take it off. In other examples of the invention an additional seam along the shoulder and extending to the end of the arm hole is also separable so that one entire side of the shirt may be opened for easier removal. In other forms of the invention, a similar seam and closure means is provided on other articles of clothing such as pants, coats, socks, or others.

These and other examples of the invention will be described in further detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a shirt in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a shirt in accordance with another example embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a pair of pants in accordance with a further example embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a sock in accordance with another example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-4 describe several exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the example is in the form of a shirt 10 having a neck 11, a pair of sleeves, and a body for covering the wearer's torso. A torso opening is formed at the base of the body portion of the shirt, with the torso opening being provided generally about the waist of the wearer as the shirt is in use. Along the neck 11, the shirt may have a banded or hemmed border or a collar. Likewise, the shirt may be sleeveless or take the form of a tank top in which there are arm holes adjacent a shoulder portion, without fabric extending away from the torso region to form sleeves. Although not shown, the shirt 10 may also include buttons down the front of the body that are either functional to join the left and right halves of the shirt body together, or that are merely decorative to create an aesthetic illusion of a button-down front (but in which the entire front of the body is not readily separable).

The shirt as shown includes a first side 24 that may be a seam or a continuous run of fabric forming the body of the shirt. The first side therefore permanently joins the front of the shirt body 14 to the back of the shirt body 12, although in other examples of the invention the first side 24 may be separable as with the second side. A first sleeve adjoining the first side of the body likewise is permanently formed in a sleeve loop having a first opening in the example as shown. As used above, “permanently” means stitched, woven, or similarly joined in a manner that requires cutting, tearing, or similar deformation or destruction of the article in order to separate.

The second side of the shirt body includes a seam formed by a back shirt edge 16 a and a front shirt edge 16 b. As illustrated, the seam continues along the lower portion of the second sleeve to form a sleeve seam at the mating of the back sleeve edge 16 c and front sleeve edge 16 d. Fasteners are provided along the body seam and the sleeve seam to allow the body and sleeve edges to be selectively joined or separated. In the illustrated example, a plurality of hook and loop fasteners 18 are provided at the back shirt edges 16 a, 16 c, with mating fasteners 20 provided at the front shirt edges 16 b, 16 d. The seam can therefore be selectively opened or joined by separating or joining the fasteners. In alternate examples of the invention, different fasteners such as buttons, snaps, zippers, or string ties are used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the releasable seam is provided substantially at one side of the torso; that is, directly beneath the arm or sleeve and where the back side of the shirt meets the front side of the shirt. In alternate forms of the invention, the releasable seam is shifted somewhat forward or rearward but remains relatively more adjacent the side of the torso than either the front or rear midline of the torso (with the midline being defined by a line vertically bisecting the front or rear of the shirt, as it appears in FIG. 1).

In the example of FIG. 1, an upper shirt edge 22 extending from one side of the neck and along the shoulder to the second sleeve opening is formed such that it is not separable, either by joining the front and back shirt sides together or forming the upper shirt edge 22 from a continuous run of fabric.

In order to put on or remove the shirt of FIG. 1, the seam along the second side of the shirt can be opened along the body, the arm hole or sleeve, or both. The opening along the shirt side edges makes it much easier for the shirt to be put on or removed, especially in the case of recovery from injuries or medical procedures. After the shirt has been put on, the edges are joined together with the mating fasteners.

Another example of a preferred shirt is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this version, the shirt includes similar mating fasteners 18, 20 along edges of the shirt body and a lower portion of a shirt sleeve at the same side of the shirt body. While the shirt of FIG. 1 included a permanently joined edge along the shoulder and upper shirt sleeve at that same side of the shirt, the version of FIG. 2 includes an upper seam 22 along the shoulder and upper sleeve that is selectively separable. The upper seam 22 may be opened and closed using a similar hook and loop fastener system in the example as shown, or may use other fasteners as discussed above. In one version of the example of FIG. 2, a different fastener 32 may be provided along the edge of the neck to provide a stronger connection at that location. Alternatively, the front and back halves of the shirt may be permanently joined at the neck (that is, permanently joined at about the location of the neck fastener 32) while the upper and lower sleeve ad one side of the body is separable. In this form of the invention, the shirt includes a permanently formed neck hole or neck band and is otherwise separable along one side of the shirt.

The example of FIG. 3 illustrates a similar concept of the invention as applied to a pair of pants 40. As shown, the pants include a waistband 46, a first leg 42 and a second leg 44. The fabric forming the first leg 42 is permanently joined to create a leg covering for a first leg. The fabric forming the second leg 44 includes a seam 49 having a plurality of fasteners 18 and 20 that allow the user to selectively separate or join the fabric forming the second leg along the seam 49. An edge 48 of the pants along the waistband at the upper portion of the seam 49 is similarly separable with a mating fattener in one version of the invention. In an alternate version, the edge 48 is permanently joined to create a waistband that either has no points of separation or is separable only at a location remote from the seam 49, such as at a crotch or fly.

Though the article of clothing depicted in FIG. 3 is illustrated as a pair of pants, the embodiments as described above may alternatively be incorporated into a pair of shorts or a pair of pants having any length.

FIG. 4 depicts a further embodiment of the invention, in this instance as applied to a sock. As shown, the sock 60 includes a footbed 66 and forward edge 68. Preferably the sock 60 is formed from fabric that is continuously woven or otherwise permanently joining the fabric at the footbed and forward edge.

At the back of the sock, the sock is separable along a first edge 62 and second edge 64, and may be selectively joined or separated via fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners 18, 20. Thus, the sock may be separated along a rear seam to make it easier to put on or remove the sock, which may be especially useful in the case of injuries or recoveries from foot surgeries. Though the sock as shown is separable along a rear seam, in alternate forms of the invention the separable seam may be provided at the forward edge 68 or along either side of the sock.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow. 

1. An article of clothing for covering a portion of a person's upper body, comprising: a body portion having a front side and a back side, the body portion defining a neck hole, a first arm hole, a second arm hole, a torso opening, and a vertical midline bisecting the body portion from the neck hole to the torso opening substantially at midpoint between the first arm hole and the second arm hole; a first side extending below the first arm hole and joining the front side of the body portion to the back side of the body portion; a second side extending below the second arm hole and joining the front side of the body portion to the back side of the body portion; a releasable seam extending from the torso opening to the second arm hole, the releasable seam being relatively more adjacent the second side than the midline of the body portion; and a fastener provided at the releasable seam for releasably securing the releasable seam.
 2. The article of claim 1, wherein the second side further comprises a front edge extending along the front side of the body portion and a back edge extending along the back side of the body portion, and further wherein the releasable seam joins the front edge to the back edge.
 3. The article of claim 2, further comprising a sleeve adjacent the second side and wherein the second arm hole is defined as an opening in the sleeve, the sleeve having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion having a lower front sleeve edge, a lower back sleeve edge, and a sleeve fastener for releasably securing the lower front sleeve edge to the lower back sleeve edge.
 4. The article of claim 3, wherein the seam extends continuously from the torso opening to the second arm hole.
 5. The article of claim 3, wherein the upper portion further comprises an upper front sleeve edge, an upper back sleeve edge, and a sleeve fastener for releasably securing the upper front sleeve edge to the upper back sleeve edge.
 6. The article of claim 3, wherein the upper back sleeve edge is permanently secured to the upper front sleeve edge at a location adjacent to the neck hole.
 7. The article of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder portion adjacent the neck hole, the front side and the backside being permanently joined at the shoulder portion.
 8. The article of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder portion adjacent the neck hole, the front side and the backside being releasably secured at the shoulder portion.
 9. The article of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises mating hook and loop fasteners.
 10. The article of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a plurality of snaps.
 11. The article of claim 1, wherein the front side is permanently secured to the backside along the first side of the body portion.
 12. The article of claim 1, wherein the front side of the body portion is releasably secured to the backside of the body portion along the first edge.
 13. An article of clothing for covering a portion of a person's body, comprising: a body portion defining a waistband; a first leg portion extending below the body portion, the first leg portion having a first leg opening and a first length extending from the waistband to the first leg opening, the first leg portion further having no releasably securable seams over the majority of the first length of the first leg portion; a second leg portion extending below the body portion, the second leg portion having a second leg opening and a second length extending from the waistband to the second leg opening, the second leg portion further having a front edge extending along a front side of second leg portion and a back edge extending along a back side of the second leg portion, the front edge and back edge being selectively separable or joinable to form a seam; and a fastener for releasably securing the front edge to the back edge.
 14. The article of claim 13, wherein the seam extends continuously from the waistband to the second leg opening.
 15. The article of claim 13, wherein the seam extends continuously from the second leg opening to a position adjacent the waistband but not through the waistband.
 16. The article of claim 13, wherein the fastener comprises mating hook and loop fasteners.
 17. The article of claim 13, wherein the fastener comprises a plurality of snaps.
 18. An article of clothing for covering a portion of a person's body, comprising: a swatch of material configured to encapsulate a foot, the swatch of material forming a foot portion having a footbed with a toe portion and a heel portion, and a leg portion having a leg opening, the leg portion having a forward edge proximate the toe portion and a rearward edge proximate the heel portion; and a seam along the rearward edge, the seam having a fastener for releasably enclosing the leg portion along the rearward edge.
 19. The article of claim 18, wherein the fastener comprises mating hook and loop fasteners.
 20. The article of claim 18, wherein the seam extends from the leg opening to the footbed. 